Accidental needle sticks can occur in several ways. For example, a sudden movement by a patient can cause a healthcare worker to lose control of the needle, resulting in injury. Additionally, injuries can result when contaminated, unprotected needles are left unattended or disposed of improperly. Moreover, attempts to manually recap a needle after a medical procedure can also result in injury. In addition to accidental needle sticks, unnecessary exposure to bloodborne pathogens can result when a healthcare worker mistakenly re-uses a contaminated needle on a patient.
Accidental needle sticks and the inadvertent reuse of a contaminated needle have the potential to expose patients and healthcare workers to life-threatening viruses that include hepatitis and HIV. Because of this potential exposure, healthcare providers are obligated to conduct extensive testing of exposed individuals. Additional follow-up testing for HIV is typically prescribed approximately six months after the exposure. It is to be appreciated that the costs associated with the testing, lab work, the workers lost time, and the associated tracking and administrative costs, can be considerable.
One type of needle device that can cause accidental needle sticks is the butterfly needle. The butterfly needle is typically used when it is required to introduce a fluid into or withdraw a fluid from a patient over a relatively long period of time. For example, the butterfly needle can be connected to a syringe, an IV set or a blood collection holder. One advantageous feature of a butterfly needle is that it contains wings that can be folded flat and taped to the patient's skin to stabilize the device. This is especially important when the needle must remain in place for a relatively long period. Typically, the wings of a butterfly needle are initially juxtaposed to allow the healthcare worker to hold the device during insertion of the needle into the patient. After needle insertion, the wings are folded flat against the patient's skin and taped. To remove the butterfly needle, the tape is pulled up and the wings are folded together (i.e. juxtaposed). With the wings together, the needle can be easily withdrawn from the patient.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a passive needle protection system for a butterfly needle that is activated by the normal opening and closing of the butterfly needle wings. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a needle protection system for a butterfly needle device that locks a guard in place to cover and protect the tip of the needle and to prevent inadvertent reuse of the device. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective device for a butterfly needle that is easy to use, relatively simple to implement and comparatively cost effective.